House prosecutors are seeking a shorter timetable for Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense presentation, arguing that the withdrawal of three impeachment charges should reduce the time originally allotted for her to answer all four articles.
Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson for the House prosecution and a private prosecutor, said the panel would oppose attempts to prolong the trial as Duterte’s defense begins presenting its evidence on Monday, Nov. 9.
Tolosa warned that allowing the defense to present evidence on charges already withdrawn by the prosecution would only delay the proceedings.
“Dahil napakaliwanag naman, kung magpe-presenta pa sila ng ebidensya para doon, it will not serve any legitimate purpose,” Tolosa said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
“So kung magpe-presenta pa sila ng ebidensya paukol doon sa articles that were already dropped, malinaw ang magiging effect lang niyan is to cause delay in this case,” he added.
The House prosecution withdrew three of the four impeachment articles in October. These involved allegations concerning confidential funds, grave threats and bribery, leaving Article II, which covers alleged unexplained wealth, as the sole remaining charge.
Tolosa said the defense should not automatically retain the full 30 trial days originally allotted for its presentation on all four articles.
“So kami ho, inaasahan namin reasonable na kung binigyan sila ng 30 days to present evidence for four articles, reasonable that this should be accordingly decreased now, considering isa na lang,” he said.
He said the prosecution was considering asking the Senate impeachment court to reduce the defense’s allotted time, either during Monday’s hearing or through a written submission.
The defense has initially identified 24 prospective witnesses and is expected to submit additional names.
Tolosa said Duterte must have enough time to present her side but argued that the proceedings should not allow an unlimited number of witnesses or hearing days.
“But important is hindi ho siya dapat maging open-ended na mag-present sila ng kahit gaano karaming testigo nila, kahit ilang araw ang hingin nila,” he said.
The prosecution also offered to stipulate on facts that both sides do not dispute to avoid lengthy testimony from bank representatives, particularly those asked only to identify letters allegedly sent by Duterte or her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
“We don’t see any need to belabor the point. We can just stipulate on those para mapabilis,” Tolosa said.
The Senate impeachment court on Thursday admitted key financial records and much of the forensic accounting report presented by the House prosecution, while excluding certain corporate records and related computations.
The prosecution has rested its case after presenting documents and findings alleging that Duterte had at least P817.87 million in undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025.
Duterte has denied wrongdoing, while her lawyers have challenged the admissibility and reliability of the prosecution’s evidence.
Her defense team has also maintained that withdrawing three impeachment articles should not prevent her from answering allegations raised during the proceedings. The Senate impeachment court will determine the scope and schedule of the defense presentation, with hearings currently set through Nov. 23.
📷 Media courtesy of Inquirer.net
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